ML20082H306
| ML20082H306 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Comanche Peak  |
| Issue date: | 11/27/1983 |
| From: | Atchison C Citizens Association for Sound Energy |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20082H284 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8312010099 | |
| Download: ML20082H306 (5) | |
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AFFIDAVIT OF CHARLES A. ATCHIS0N Q:
Please state your name and address for the record.
A: My name is Charles A. Atchison. My address is P. O. Box 901, Azle, Texas 76020.
Q: Are you aware of any instances of intimidation, harassment, or threatening of employees at Comanche Peak (other than what you've already testified, to in the operating license hearings)?
A: ' Yes.
Q: Are you aware of any instances of employees being discouraged from doing work right to begin with at Comanche Peak (other than what's already in the record)?
A: Yes.
Q:
In your opinion, have such instances of intimidation, harassment, threatening, or discouragement had an effect on morale of employees at the plant?
A:
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(k!.In your. opinion, have such instances of intimidation, harassment, threatening, or discouragement had a detrimental effect on the quality of work at Comanche Peak?
A: Yes.
Q:
If so, what effects have they had?
A: When you have bad morale, you have the characteristics of "Why try to do anything?
If they don't care, why should I care?" The morale is low, and the quality of the work is not going to be there.
It has created 0312010099 831128 PDR ADOCK 05000445 G
O the lowest type of morale and disinterest of any plice, to the point that 4
everybody is just going to do what they can to get by until they can find same-thing else to go to. People stay in'a job like that'because cf mo'ney -- it's the highest paying hourly job in the 200-mile area and if they can work for 4 or 5 years at these high wages, they can pay off bunches of bills and debts and buy extra luxuries that they uouldn't norma-11y be able to do with their s
type of work.
My firing has had a massive effect, because they use me for an example of what they can or will do.
The persecution, the public humiliation,
' the loss of income, the inability to find suitable employment aftemards all c,
Es a'n effect. Potential witnesses think that to come fomard, this will happen to them. TUGC0 and Brown & Root uses this for a quiet lever to control the QC inspectors and make them do exactly what management wants done -- no more, no less..It reinforces Tolson's " corrective action program" -- do what I say, or I'll fire you.
Q: Are there any other specific examples of intimidation, etc. of
. bh,ich you are aware that arc not already in the record?
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J.A: There were too many complaints by construction about QC inspectors, in'd' management would send out spies to observe, follow-up inspect, what
,j They would talk to construction superin-L a particular inspector was doing.
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- tendents in regard to their evaluation of that inspector. Then they would
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' repork back 'to QC management, who would either browbeat the Inspector or have him' transferred to a differen area, or they would pull an Inspector's certifications' and make him retest.
In several cases, the Inspectors quit '
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ O or transferred to a different discipline.
I know this for a fact because I was used as one of those spies, specifically in the case of Dennis Mercer.
Because it was found that he was doing an excellent job in his inspection and would not compromise quality requirements, because he was too strict. -
management sought to transfer him to a different area of responsibility.
Instead, he quit QC and transferred to civil engineering. The last time I heard, he was still out there. When I was told to do this, I was just told to check on his competency level, that that was what the prime purpose was. It wasn't until I saw what happened that I realized what the true purpose of management was. There is also at least One other example of this which I-know of personally.
Q: Are there specific problems in construction or design at Comanche Peak which you believe currently exist (which have not, as far as you know, been put into the process to be corrected) to which you could take the Licensing Board and show them? And would you be willing to do so?
A:
Yes, to both questions.
In some cases it would require magnetic particle examination with a Parker AC/DC probe (yoke).
It would also require review of some paperwork. No destructive examination would be required.
Thes'e problems would be welding deficiencies, modifications to vendor-supplied items without a design change authorization, lack of control over" materials, audit deficiencies, purchasing irregularities, qualifications of personnel, etc.
Q: Why should the Licensing Board be concerned about such intimidation, harassment, threatening or discouragement of employees, or such deficiencies as you may tell them about or show them at Comanche Peak? What's the bottom
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j line as far as the safety of the plant is concerned?
A: There is no safety of the plant. The quality of the workmanship that is there guarantees that the safety will not be there.
Even if you had the best welders and the best QC personnel, the morale problems and intimidation are so high that the inspectors cannot inspect the work which is put in.
Q: Do you want to testify regarding these matters in the operating license hearings for Comanche Peak?
A:
Yes.
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O I have read the foregoing affidavit, which was prepared under my 7ersonal direction, and it is true and correct to the bes of g knowledge and belief.
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(Si9"'d}.m Date: //-4 7- /3 STATE OF
-T 4% A G COUNTY OF
/G /A A L /24 On this, the
?7 day of GoW 1983 personally appeared J 4/A /t i s__s A.
Are N/.So s
, known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that he executed the same for the purposes therein expressed.
Subscribed and sworn before me on the 27 day of 97 #, -
198 3 YWh RdG ms
' Notary Public in and for the State of firy /7 s SAMUEL W. NESTOR WX Commission Expires My Commission Expires:
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